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Every time I read one of these threads I get amused wondering if the OP ran into my sister n law or brother at a restaurant. My husband's sister has 2 children that are completely out of control. I attended a bridal shower a few years back and SIL was there. Her kids are only a year apart. At that time they were 5 and 6. The kids were running high speed through out the hall. My SIL calmly sat at the table ignoring them. It was so bad people were looking around wondering who's kids they were. Finally the banquet staff came over and asked my SIL if the kids were hers. I looked over and the kids were standing on a punch cart. A kid on each side rocking it back and forth. The large punch bowl was swaying with them and the cart looked like it was ready to topple over. My SIL didn't answer the waitstaff. She just stood up and walked over to her kids and brought them back to the table.
A couple of years ago I went out to dinner with my brother and his wife. The last time I ever went out to eat with them. They have two kids. As soon as we sat down the kids starting acting up. The one refused to sit down and stood up in the booth looking over at the people behind us. At first the other customers were trying to be nice. Gave my niece a smile and was probably hoping someone would tell her to sit down. Nope. My brother and SIL ignored it and all through dinner my niece stood up in the booth eating her food while staring at the people behind us. The other one was still in a high chair and was rocking it back and forth. Lucky me I got seated next to her. So all through dinner I had one hand on the high chair and one on my fork. Then she started standing up in the high chair. I buckled her in and the kid had a major meltdown! Then my SIL gets pissed telling me that her daughter doesnt like to be buckled. So I said fine, someone switch seats with me then. SIL switched seats with me and before I knew it the kid out of the high chair and under the table. It was one of those steakhouse places where they throw the peanuts on the floor. Ugh..so I can feel this kid by my legs under the table but couldnt reach her. She finally emerged filthy. It was the most stressful dinner I ever had! My son at the time was 11 yrs old. We left the dinner and my son says, "Oh my those kids are so bad. They need a spanking or something!"
Depends on the restaurant. If it's a family-oriented place, I would be much more tolerant. If it's an expensive upscale place, there's no excuse for loud, disruptive behavior.
I was at a restaurant once and my child was laughing loudly with her friend and running around the table. A young woman who also happened to be pregnant glared at me and told me to control my child. We were on the patio at Sonic (fast food drive up restaurant for those who don't know).
I complied with the request but had to stifle a laugh because I can understand if we were at a nicer place or even inside but the patio of a fast food drive through restaurant? Really?
I don't think the out-of-control families are the norm, but they are so loud that it's tough to miss them. I hate it when people let their kids run wild (and feel bad for the young kids who will be at a disadvantage in life because they are being raised by parents who have neglected to teach them even the basics of how to behave out in public), but still think that the problem families are the odd ones out.
I did once eat out with relatives who let their toddler run wild. It was one of the most embarrassing dinners of my life. My son is not allowed to behave like that.
Very rarely do we see truly bad behavior when we're eating out, but once in awhile we see something. A few months ago in a fairly casual pizza place there was a kid rolling around on the floor, then he STOOD on the table. His parents' solution? To buy him a brownie! I don't know what was going on with those parents, but I would assume that they're lacking basic manners and common sense in most parts of life, not just when going out to eat.
If you're running into this sort of thing on a regular basis, though, I'd reevaluate the restaurants you're visiting. I have seen obnoxious kid behavior, but it's not that common. And I have a fairly low tolerance level for that sort of thing. (and I find the cell phone thing to be just as bad: who are these people who think it's okay to have a cell phone conversation in a restaurant?)
If they were running around the table, then it sounds like they were finished eating. Since the patio at Sonic isn't a playground, and the kids weren't eating and were clearly riled up and demonstrating a very marked need to be physically active, why didn't you just leave and take the kids to a playground? Why would you -want- your kids to be running around some noisy fast food joint sidewalk? The priorities of some people really just perplex the crap out of me.
If they were running around the table, then it sounds like they were finished eating. Since the patio at Sonic isn't a playground, and the kids weren't eating and were clearly riled up and demonstrating a very marked need to be physically active, why didn't you just leave and take the kids to a playground? Why would you -want- your kids to be running around some noisy fast food joint sidewalk? The priorities of some people really just perplex the crap out of me.
Sonic has "happy hour" from 2 to 4. Half priced drinks. We stopped there on our way home after playing at the playground (where we played for hours) for drinks. We were there for 15 minutes, tops.
Sonic has "happy hour" from 2 to 4. Half priced drinks. We stopped there on our way home after playing at the playground for drinks. We were there for 15 minutes, tops.
But Sonic has servers who are having to walk back and forth between the store and the cars. Running doesn't sound like a great idea. Last week, a friend and I were in Moe's. It's a Mexican place place you go down the line and tell them what you want and how to fix it, etc. There's a cashier at the end. Before we got down to her, she had to stop and grab some child, who looked about 4, who had run behind the counter into the food prep area. She picked her up and put back on the other side with her brother, who looked about 6. A parent was nowhere in sight. They then got in the way of people trying to sit back down after getting a drink refill, and started twirling back and forth right at the end of booth, actually touching the table and the people at the table looked like "who are you?" Finally, their mom comes over (she had been sitting at a long table with other friends) and just sort of pleasantly tells them to come along after halfway mumbling an apology. My friend and I (along with others in line) were dumbfounded.
I have an almost 1-year-old, and I'm not going to hustle him out of a Chili's type restaurent at 6 p.m. just because he makes a couple of loud baby babbles. With all the other noise and TVs going, it's just one more sound. But when he gets older, I'm certainly not going to tolerate running around and getting in other people's way. It's not a playground.
But Sonic has servers who are having to walk back and forth between the store and the cars. Running doesn't sound like a great idea. .
We weren't in the parking lot where the servers were coming and going and until this other woman showed up we were the only people on the patio. The woman made her comment as soon as she arrived and we left about 5 minutes later (and I did comply with her request for the remainder of our stay).
I have 10 years experience working in restaurants. I understand that letting kids run around where servers are present can be dangerous. This was not the case.
I'd also say commen sense rules apply. If my kids are completely wired, that's not the night to take them to Ruth's Chris at 9pm. On days when I know sitting still and quietly just aren't going to happen we'll look for outdoor seating, or take take-outs to the park/playground. I have seen enough unruly behavior recently to make me seriously doubt some parents common sense.
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My husband's sister has 2 children that are completely out of control. I attended a bridal shower a few years back and SIL was there. Her kids are only a year apart. At that time they were 5 and 6. The kids were running high speed through out the hall. My SIL calmly sat at the table ignoring them. It was so bad people were looking around wondering who's kids they were. Finally the banquet staff came over and asked my SIL if the kids were hers. I looked over and the kids were standing on a punch cart. A kid on each side rocking it back and forth. The large punch bowl was swaying with them and the cart looked like it was ready to topple over. My SIL didn't answer the waitstaff. She just stood up and walked over to her kids and brought them back to the table. 
